Elke stripped her table of the sheets and dropped them in the soiled basket. She wiped her brow with the back of her hand for a bit of rest, and twisted off the cap of a water bottle for a drink. Her arms and back were tired, and as she rubbed her own shoulders with weak hands. She wished she could make herself as refreshed as old Mrs. Pavlova, who practically hopped off the table and skipped out of the room. The old lady was kind enough, and pretty funny to boot, and she tipped well. Really well, Elke thought as she stuffed the money left behind into her bag, pulled out a change of clothes and hurried into her uniform. She finished tidying the space afterward and went out front to clock out. Her shift at the parlor was over.
It was evening outside. The tattoo shop next door was just opening up for the night, and she waved at the worker through the windows as she passed. He gave her a lopsided grin and a wave to come inside, but Elke tapped at her own belly and gave a little twirl in her scrubs. She was starving and needed to eat, and she had to get on.
She bought a wrap from a cart vendor on the street corner, and downed it as she walked. Only then she checked the time and skipped forward, hurrying. She hadn’t realized she’d been loitering, and was only barely going to make it.
The housekeepers business was just opening up for the night at 9 pm on the dot. She barely slipped through the back door in time.
With a loud whoosh, she clocked in and stowed her belongings in a locker. Her scrubs were already on, so no need to change again. Her hair was already tied back in double braids and pinned close to her scalp. She wore the braids long her first shift and was really grossed out by the blood she got her hair. The other girls laughed and told her to wear a hair-net next time, but Elke thought they were ugly and decided to wear them up high and tight. She wrapped a black scarf around her skull just to keep the splatter out, and stuck out her tongue at the girls the next night. When they asked for the link she used to order them from a site, she shared though. She wasn’t petty.
She left the locker room to go down the hall and check their assignments for the evening and get her gear. Every night was a different location. She never really knew what kind of thing the housekeepers would be called to clean. It took a good month of orientation to learn all the tools and chemicals, though. It wasn’t fun work. It was gross and hard, but the real fun was in the places they went and in the money she made. She had never seen so much in all her life as what was on her first paycheck. Sadly, most of that went to rent, but still.
She scrolled her finger through the screens until she came to her name. There was nothing yet, but jobs usually came in last minute. So she had a few minutes to kill, she figured. So she grabbed a pager, and went to the break room to find a snack. On the way there, though, she heard raised voices coming out of the manager’s office. So she stopped to listen.
It was evening outside. The tattoo shop next door was just opening up for the night, and she waved at the worker through the windows as she passed. He gave her a lopsided grin and a wave to come inside, but Elke tapped at her own belly and gave a little twirl in her scrubs. She was starving and needed to eat, and she had to get on.
She bought a wrap from a cart vendor on the street corner, and downed it as she walked. Only then she checked the time and skipped forward, hurrying. She hadn’t realized she’d been loitering, and was only barely going to make it.
The housekeepers business was just opening up for the night at 9 pm on the dot. She barely slipped through the back door in time.
With a loud whoosh, she clocked in and stowed her belongings in a locker. Her scrubs were already on, so no need to change again. Her hair was already tied back in double braids and pinned close to her scalp. She wore the braids long her first shift and was really grossed out by the blood she got her hair. The other girls laughed and told her to wear a hair-net next time, but Elke thought they were ugly and decided to wear them up high and tight. She wrapped a black scarf around her skull just to keep the splatter out, and stuck out her tongue at the girls the next night. When they asked for the link she used to order them from a site, she shared though. She wasn’t petty.
She left the locker room to go down the hall and check their assignments for the evening and get her gear. Every night was a different location. She never really knew what kind of thing the housekeepers would be called to clean. It took a good month of orientation to learn all the tools and chemicals, though. It wasn’t fun work. It was gross and hard, but the real fun was in the places they went and in the money she made. She had never seen so much in all her life as what was on her first paycheck. Sadly, most of that went to rent, but still.
She scrolled her finger through the screens until she came to her name. There was nothing yet, but jobs usually came in last minute. So she had a few minutes to kill, she figured. So she grabbed a pager, and went to the break room to find a snack. On the way there, though, she heard raised voices coming out of the manager’s office. So she stopped to listen.